Ratifying the Paris Agreement: An important step for Armenia, a big step for the environment

6 September 2016

During the last 300 years, since the industrial revolution, levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases have steeply risen in the atmosphere. Continued emissions of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and changes in all components of the climate system. Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. We need to change the way we live and limit our carbon dioxide emissions in order to mitigate the negative externalities of climate change.
Against that background of real and immediate impacts and risks, the world gathered in Paris in December 2015 to agree on a new climate agreement . It is an ambitious agreement with a long-term goal to keep temperature increases below 2˚C, and pursue efforts to limit temperature increases to 1.5˚C.
Since the successful adaptation of the Paris Agreement in December 2015, a large and diverse group of countries are willing to join for the best possible outcome after Paris. Around 190 countries have submitted their plans, many of which include adaptation measures.

Armenia and the European Union are working together to mitigate the impact of climate change. The European Union is a leader in the provision of funding to support climate change mitigation and adaptation. At least 20% of the budget in the 2014-2020 periods will be spent on climate-related projects and policies, in the EU and externally.
The European Union has funded the Clima East project, which focuses on assistance in climate change policy to the ENP countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine). This project has provided expert assistance, which has helped to elaborate recommendations for the future National Adaptation Plan (NAP) of the Republic of Armenia.

On August 31, a workshop was organised by the Ministry of Nature Protection with the support of the Clima East project to review and to ensure civil society participation in defining Armenia’s adaptation to climate change and the national adaptation policy in Armenia.
Simon Papyan, First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia, presented Armenia’s role in global climate change: ‘In September 2015, before the UN conference on climate change in Paris, we presented Armenia’s climate change programme.’ The Deputy Minister confirmed that the Armenian government will commence ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change by the end of September 2016.
John Barker, the International Aid/Cooperation Officer of the European Union Delegation to Armenia, made opening remarks at the workshop: ‘The EU is committed to help you adapt practices and reduce the consequences and impact of climate change. This support will be offered to all countries that will apply the Paris Agreement’.

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